Insulator fastener



Sept. 3, 194-0. H. M. YOUNG INSULATOR FASTENER Filed July 28, 1938INVENTOR HARRY M 0 YOUNG,

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 3, 1940 UNITED STATES INSULATOR FASTENER HarryM. Young, Webster Groves, Mo., assignor to Western Wire ProductsCompany, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application July 28,1938, Serial No. 221,766

4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to insulatorfasteners and, moreparticularly, to a certain new and useful improvement in an insulatorfastener or clip particularly, though not exclusively, adapted for usein connection with metallic fence-posts and the like.

My invention has for its primary object the provision of an insulatorfastener for the purpose stated, which is simple and inexpensive instructure, rugged and durable in use, and facile and convenient ininstallation, the fastener being very quickly and easily attached toanyconventional fence-post and efficiently securing the insulator tightlyin operative wire-supporting position against the face of the post.

And with the above and other objects inview, my invention resides in thenovel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination ofparts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 is a perspective view of aninsulatorfastener embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the fastener, takenapproximately along the line 2-2, Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the fastener in assembling associationwith an insulator;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary reduced perspective view of an end-embeddedstanding fence-post equipped with insulators held in place by fastenersof my invention;

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional View of an insulator-fastener of myinvention operatively securing a two-piece insulator upon a fence-postof T-shaped cross-section;

Figure 6 is a similar view illustrating the fastener operativelysecuring a one-piece insulator upon a fence-post of angle or L-shapecrosssection;

Figure 7 is a reduced perspective View of a slightly modified formofinsulator-fastener embodying my present invention;

Figure 8 is a transverse sectional view of the modifiedinsulator-fastener, taken approximately along the line 8-8, Figure 7;and

Figure 9 is a side elevational view of another slightly modified form ofinsulator-fastener enibodying my present invention.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to the drawing,which illustrates practical embodiments of my present invention, theinsulator-fastener or clip A is constructed preferably of a section ofsuitable so-called half round wire-stock bent and formed to integrallyinclude a main portion comprising an intermediate head. I and a pair ofcompanion or co-operable legs 2, 2', which latter are of suitable lengthand extend approximately at right angles from the head I. The leg 2constitutes one end-portion of the wire section from which the fasteneror clip is constructed, and at the free end of the leg 2, the Wire ofthe fastener is axially deflected in the provision of an offset-bend, asat 3, and then lengthwise extended to provide a leg-continuation 4,which latter constitutes the other endportion of the clip-wire andnormally is approximately axially parallel to the leg 2, as best seen inFigure 1. As will be observed, the respective flat faces a of the legs2, 2' are in opposed relation for engagement, and normally the leg 2 isaxially disposed outwardly at an angle to the axis of and is resilientlysiiiftable laterally for precise marginal registration with thecompanion leg 2, for purposes presently more fully appearing and as bestseen in Figures 1 and 2. l

B designates a conventional two-piece insulator comprising asubstantially cylindrical main or body-portion 5 and a co-operablecircular or diskshaped head 6, both constructed preferably of porcelainor other suitable dielectric material. The body-portion 5 is providedwith an axially extending bore 7, and a pair of laterally spaced arcuatechannels 8 extend across the upper face of the body 5 equidistantly onopposite sides of the bore 7. The head 6 is adapted for peripheralregistration with the body 5 and similarly has an axial bore 9 forco-axial alignment with the body bore 7 and a pair of end-facetransverse arcuate channels It for overlying registration with the bodychannels 8.

In use, the clip or fastener A has its legs 2, 2', and leg-continuationi inserted endwise through the registering axial bores 'l. and 9 of theinsulator body 5 and head 6, as best seen in Figure 3.

Now, in the erection of a so-called live-wire cattle fence or otherstructure, a plurality of G for receiving the strand of a fence wire W.The clip A and the insulator head 6 are then shifted toward theparticular post C until the insulator head 6 is brought into marginalregistration with the insulator portion and the channels I0 thereof arealso in marginal registration with the channels 8 for retentivelyholding the fence wire strand W. The leg-continuation 4 of the clip A isthen bent, as at l3, retentively around the outer or free margin of theweb Id of the fence-post C, as best seen in Figure 5.

With a fence-post C of angle or L-shape in section, one leg i 5 of thepost is similarly provided with a plurality of suitably spaced openingsIt. For purposes of illustration, the post C is shown in Figure 6 inconjunction with a socalled one-piece insulator B, which is alsoconstructed of porcelain or other dielectric material and ofsubstantially cylindrical form with an axial bore l1 and acircumferential channel or recess 18 adjacent its upper end forretentively receiving a wrapped around wire strand W.

The clip A has its legs 2, 2', disposed through the bore I! of theinsulator B, the leg-continuation 4 being inserted endwise through aselected opening I6 and similarly, as at l9, bent around the outermargin of the other leg 20 of the fencepost C, as best seen in Figure 6,for securely fastening the insulator B in operative wire-supportingposition on the fence-post.

In the engagement of the clip A with either of the insulators B or B,the legs 2, 2', are yieldingly pressed into approximate flatwiseabutment at their faces a and subsequently function in frictionallyholding the particular insulators from bodily turning when in'wire-supporting position upon a fence-post. I might add, however, thatthe clip may, for certain purposes and under certain circumstances, beconstructed of wire-stock of circular cross-section of suitablediameter, as best seen in Figures 7 and 8. Also, in the case ofrelatively large-size insulator clips, such as the clip A", Figure 9,which should preferably be formed of unusually stiff wirestock, theleg-continuation 4' is preferably provided on its rounded face a with aplurality of suitably spaced notches, as at 2|, for facilitating theformation of the retentive fence-post engaging bend l3 at the properlocation according to the size of the particular post.

It will be evident that, by my present invention, I have provided aninsulator fastener or clip, which is economical in cost of production,durable in structure, and most convenient in installation, and it shouldbe understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction,arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the clip may bemade and substituted for those herein shown and described withoutdeparting from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent 1. In combination, an axially bored dielectric insulator,and a fastener comprising a first leg in engagement with the insulatoralong substantially the entire length of the insulator-bore, said leghaving at one end a transversely extending head-portion and at its otherend an axially extending leg continuation bendable for supportengagement, and a second leg connected at an end to the head-portion andnormally extending yieldingly obliquely relative to, and in marginalregistration with, the first leg, said second leg having resilientfrictional engagement at its free end only with the insulator.

2. In a combination, an insulator having a bore therethrough, and a,split pin fitted in the bore and having a head at one end holdingagainst the insulator, said pin having one leg thereof of less lengththan the bore and having the other leg relatively longer than, andextending from, the end of the bore as a fastening portion and said legsbeing resiliently spread whereby said legs frictionally engage and holdwithin the bore.

3. In combination, an axially bored insulator and a fastener having ahead for engagement with an end of the insulator and a pair of legs eachconnected at an end to the head and extending into the axial bore of theinsulator, said legs being resiliently spread for frictionally engagingthe insulator, one of said legs being substantially shorter than theinsulator-bore and the other ofsaid legs being substantially longer thanand extending from the end of the insulator-bore, said leg beingangularly bent in the provision of an offset portion extendingapproximately to the longitudinal axis of the fastener in the provisionof a leg-continuation extending substantially along the longitudinalaxis of the fastener for engagement with a support.

4. In combination, a two-part insulator comprising coaxially bored bodyand head sections, and a fastener having a head member for engagementwith the outer end of the insulator head-section, a pair of laterallyspaced legs resiliently connected at an end to the fastenerhead andextending through the bores of the insulator head and body sections andbeing spread apart forfrictional engagement therein, one of said legsbeing shorter than the combined length of the bores of the insulatorhead and body sections and the other leg being longer than said combinedbore-length and extending from the bore in the provision of a fasteningportion.

HARRY M. YOUNG.

